Attachment for knitting-machines



' w. c. POTTER AND E. H. STINES.

ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION men JUNE 29. ms.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. F a.; 3

INVENTORS I Will: :0 om

A TTORNEY w. C.--POTTER AND E. H. STINES.

ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION mm 111N529. 1910.

1,398,570. Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WIT/V588 v T mvqgons TJCIEL v 3 I mlbur (1P0 er v EdMrdJIStine-r A TTORNEY UNITED STATEMSTPATENT o WILIBUR c; POTTER AND EDWARD n. sTINns, or'nnw BRUNSWICK, NEW

ATTACHMENT son KNITTING MAGI-HNESQ To allwhom it may concern:

Speeificat'ion ofLetters Patent.

Application filed June 29; 1918. Serial No.'24=2,528.

sey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Knitting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved at-- tachment for knitting machines;. particularly an attachment which is designed to stop the knitting machine when, for any reason, the knitting operation should be temporarily discontinued.

The primary object of our invention is to Fries.

JnRsnYL Patented Nov. 29., 1921.

. Fig. 8 is a viewof a detail inconnection with Fig. 7

- Fig. ,9 .is a view of a detail in connection with Fig. 1;

. Fig. 10 isa front view,and

Fig. 11 aside view ofan especial kindof thread-engaging element and guideto be mounted on our improved attachment,

On the drawings, the same numerals of reference. identify the same .parts throughout.

Our'attachment fora knitting machine,

': as shown particularly in Fig. 1, includesa :head which is made up of a lowercasing =1 and an upper casingQ. The upper casing *2 is superposed on the lower casing land provide an attachment that can be applied to a knitting machine and that will be constituted of relatively few parts,"capable of being easily and cheaply manufactured and quickly assembled and adjusted; and adapted to be readily repaired in case of damage 'to any of the parts which the attachment comprises.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from the following specification which sets forth one or more forms of an attachment'made' acchange the structure of what 'is' actually shown herein, without departing from thecording to our invention.

This disclosure I 'finishecLin any suitable manner. WVe provide a cover 3 which closes the top'of the closes the top of same; the two casings being secured together, when the attachment is upper casing 2 and from the bottom of the *lower casing '1 projects a centralboss 4;

which is-hollow toreceive the upper'end of the stem or shaft'of the knitting machine 8 to which the attachment is to be applied.

however, is illustrative only, aswe may' "eluding a trip; which, when actuated, allows Thusthe attachment can be mounted on the knitting machine in operative position; The lower casing 1 bears certain mechanism, in- I 1 certain parts of the knitting machineynot shown, to come into play and cause the knitting machine to cease operating; the

scope and spirit of our invention, tothe full extent indicated by the general mean ngs of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

0n the drawings, which are'pa rt ofthis -specificat1on, p 7

IS a side elevation, partly. m

Figure 1 section, of an attachment for a knitting machine made according to our invention Fig. 2 is a top plan of the attachment shown in Fig. 1, with the cover removed.

1 3 is a section on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 2. i i

Fig. 4 shows amodified form of arm or the thread 5. We also afiix to the upper casing2'a number of arms 6,.which extend radially outward from the attachment, and have associated therewith certain elements mechanism in question being controlled by which are engaged by the thread'5; and, which, under certainconditions, are disengaged from this thread to allow the trip f mechanism to act." Inside the casing 2 we dispose suitable tension devices which act gu en the elements associated with arms 6 and engaging the thread 5 and serve "to 1 0o enable the operatorto efiect an adjustment of r the tension to which the thread 5 may be bracket which is an important partof our zinvention.

Fig.5 is a top plan of said arm, 7

Fig. 6 is an end view of said arm showing also certain elementswhichit supports.

Fig. 7 is'a top plan of the lower part of an attachment made'a'ccording to our invention illustrating certain parts which control trip mechanism 'by-which the stopping of the knitting machine is brought about;

arm 6.] I

is detachably mounted; and for this purpose subjected before it becomes disengagedfrom 1 the aforesaid elements associated with the The'arms 6 may be present in any number according to the design of the particular attachment, eight of these arms being indicated for example, in Fig. 2; Each arm 110 the upper casing 2 is provided with an en circling flange 7 at its rim which fits into a V guard recess in the end of each arm and thus permits the arm to be secured in place. recess in question forms two lugs or jaws in the end of each arm 6, one of these lugs abutting against the cover 3, and the other abutting against the side of the casing 2 below the flange 7 and the arm may be secured by a screw or any suitable fastening device engaging the two lugs and the flange 7. The arms 6 are all identical, both as to structure and the parts or elements supported by them; hence we need refer hereinafter to but one of these arms 6.

On the outer edge of each arm is an enlargement 8, to which is affixed a combined and guide 9 for the thread 5. This guard and guide is disclosed in the patent of W. O. Potter, No. 1,326,371, December 30, 1919, and no claim to the structure of this guard is made herein. It comprises a pair of arms 10 secured to the top and bottom of the enlargement 8; and terminates at its opposite end beyond the junction of the arms 10 in a tail 11. It is concave on theside facing the casing 2 and convex on its opposite face; and it cooperates with a bellcrank lever 12 which has a bearing 13 to enable it to be mounted on a pivot pin extending downward at an incline from the under side of the arm 6. At its forward end the longer arm of the bell-crank 12 terminates in a fork, having one prong extending beyond the guard 9; and the adjacent or upper edge of this guard, indicated by numeral 14, is curved downward; the shape of the guard being such that this edge not only extends downward from the top of the enlargement 8, but also toward the casing 2. Hence, to get the thread in the fork of the lever 12, one has only to put the thread on the edge 141 of the guard 9 and let it slip down until it engages the extending prong above mentioned. It then passes behind the tail 11 and remains in the fork under normal conditions. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plane of the prongs of the fork are approximately parallel to the adjacent portions of the guard 9 and the guard at no time obstructs the entrance to the space between the prongs. Adjacent the bearings 13, the

bell-crank 12 has a shorter arm which is engaged by an arm 15 of a rock-shaft 16; which is located beneath the arm 6 and extends along the under side of same to the inside of the casing 2. Near the casing 2 and on the outside of the latter, this arm carries a fixed hook 17 and the thread 5, after leaving the lever 12, passes over and engages this hook on its way to the knitting needles. The hook 17 may be made out of a single stamping, and may have an overturned lip 18 to afford a smooth rounded surface over which the thread may run, and be provided with a bearing remote from the lip to enable the hook to be mounted on the The 7 rock-shaft 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4:-

The bearing for the inner extremity of the shaft 16 consists of a hole or'opening in the casing 2 through which the shaft 16 passes vto the inside thereof; and the bearlng for the end of the shaft carrying the arm 15 may be in the form of a perforated lug 19 having a bent over end with a hole therethrough to enable it to be secured by a screw to the bottom of thearm 6.

Normally the shaft 16 will act through the arm 15 to hold the lever 12 so that the.

to certain tension devices in the casing 2,

comprising springs for acting upon the shafts 16 and means for adjusting the tension of these springs. These devices are mounted in the casing 2 by a central post or stud 20, fixed to the bottom of the casing 2 and surrounded b a central boss as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. 8n this post is disposed a disk 21, which can turn to a certain extent around the post 20, and rests upon the boss at the bottom of the casing 2, sothat it is supported thereby. This disk has a central hub or bearing 22 by which the post 20 is directly engaged. Above the disk 21 is a second disk, having a similar hub or bearing which extends downward and engages or abuts the hub or bearing of the first disk,

resting thereon and keeping the two disks spaced apart, one above the other. On the upper end of the journal or post 20 is a head, and at its lower end, thisjournal is fiattenedagainst the outside of the bottom of the casing; so that the two disks, while free to turn on the post, are held against displacement therefrom.

Each of the disks 21 mounts a plurality of arms 23, which may be in the form of short wires or rods bent to provide eyelets on their outer ends and having their inner ends driven into or otherwise engaging holes in the rims of thesedisks. Each arm is. connected by a spring 24 to an arm carried by the inner end of one of the rock-shafts 16, the arms in question being indicated by the number 25 and being in the form of wire suitably bent to engage the inner ends of the shafts 16, and having eyelets to enable the spring 241 to be secured'thereto. To the lower face of the lower disk 21 we attach a pin or plug 26; pivotally mounting the same in this disk so that it can turn with respect thereto; and having below the disk in one side a threaded openingto engage a screw Or bolt 27. This bolt passes through the side of the casing" and terminatesoutside the casing in-a head 2'7 which may be provided with a kerf 27 fYHence, by means] of' a screw driver or other tool, the bolt 27 can be turned and the lower disk 21 may thus be rotatably adjusted on the post 20.

To the upper disk 21 is pivotally secured a similar pin or' plug which extends down- "ward through a slot 28 in'the lower disk and Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arms of the upper disk are securedto alternate shafts 16 and the arms of the lower disk are secured to the remaining shafts '16, andthe arms connected to theupper disk extend upward, while the arms of the remaining shafts 16 connected to the lower disk extend downward. The springs 24', therefore are divided into two sets, one set being connect-ed to the arms 25 extending in one direction around the casing, and the other set for the arms 25 extending in the opposite direction.

By manipulating the screws 27, the disks 21 can be turned upon the journal 20 to vary the tension of the springs and thus adjust the degree of pressure whichthe arms 15 exert upon the bell-crank levers 12.

We may make the disks 21 by casting or in any other suitable manner and'the arms 23 can be quickly attached to same. Likewise the disks can be easily assembled in the casing 2, and the arms 23 thereon can be readily connected'by springs24 tothe arms :25 on the shafts 16; and the make up of these disks and armsidoe's'not entail-very great expense. "Further the particular structure of the arm'6 notonly enables it to be readily mounted on the casing 2, but also in case of accident or damage to one of these" arms, 1t can be taken off and replaced with' a new arm without having to dismountthe any damage to the attachment does not require the removal of the attachment from the'machine and return of the attachment to the factoryfon repairs. In fact, in case of breakage or derangement of any ofthe parts above mentioned, the attachment "can be repaired at once and the machine need not be out of operat on for any extended perlod. The trip mecl1an1sm,'as stated above, 1s

located in the lower'casing 1; which'has a central portion of its bottom'fdepressed as shown at 29 in Fig. 1 toac commodate this mechanism. Inside this casing is atlange or rim 3O exten'dingupward from the bottom around the depressed portion 2 and located some distance from the inside wall of thee asing; forming with the depressed portion 29 of the bottom, a chamber in which casingl; and it 'will also have a pin or pro jection 35 which extends'downward adjacent the trip ort'r'i'gger above mentioned. When jed, 'See Fig. 9.

the tripmechanism can be advantageously disposed. The mechanism in question comv prises a slidable member-31 in the depressed portion of the bottom of the casing'l and having its end projecting through the casing to; the outside of the same just below the flange 303 Normallythis member 31 will be in the position shown-in Figiii At its "outer'en'd it will be c'onnected'to mechanism adapted'f-to' stop "the knitting machine by shifti-ng the' belt'oif from the main driving pulley, and to doithis the member 31 is operated by asp'ring32in the casing 1. The

slidable member 31 is held in the position it "occupies in Fig. *Zfiby parts such as are shown in the patent to Crawford, No. 510,-

]839, granted'December12, 1893, including a trip or t'i'iggerwhich prevents the spring 32,

though under tension, from withdrawing the member 31'. jVVe. 'also put in the casing'l a rotatable'disk 33*which will be above the member3lj a nd surrounded by the flange 30.

This member will be mounted on a pivot pin 34, engaginga bearing'in the bottom of the the disk-33 is turned clockwise with reference. to '7', the'pin'ea will strike the trip shifting of the belt from the driving pulley and the stopping of the knitting machine In order to "rotate the disk 33, we pro vide a number or recesses in its edge, each recess terminatingin' an abrupt radial shoulder 36. These shoulders are each engaged by an'arm 37 'on'a spindle 38;.therebeing as many of these spindles as there are arms.

:6 and each of them being mountedin holes or hearings in the flange 30 and the wall of the" casing'l; and extending through :to the outside of this casing 1. Preferably we may make these. spindles out of metallic h 7 I V rods and provide thef'arms 37 by bending head from 'the kn tting machine. Hence,

tending projections 40. These fingers 39 extend upward toward thearms 6 and normally occupy slightly inclined position, that. is to say, theyfwilllean so that the projections Q'Othereon will be a little closer to the observer viewing Fig. 1 than the Shaft 33 11 which the finger may be mount operate with a frame 41 secured to the un 'der side of the adjacent arm 6, the'lower part of this frame having parallel trans verseslots 42 through which the projections.

AOanay pass. The frames 41 may be made by stamplng the same out of sheets or pieces These fingers each co of metal and be secured to the arm 6 by ders 36 of the disk 33 is best illustrated in Fig. 8; and the manner in which the threads best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 9. V leaving the hook 17 the thread 5 will pass at once.

.5 engage the levers 12 and the hooks 17 operate with respect to the fingers 39 is down behind the frame 41, with reference to Fig. 1, but in front of the projections .40 projecting through the slots 42; that is it will pass between the frame and the projections and hold the projections of the finger 39 so that the arm 37 at the inner end of spindle 38 will not act upon the adjacent shoulder 36 of the disk 33 with sufficient force to move this disk and release the member 31. The position of each finger 39 will be slightly inclined at this'time, with the action of gravity, tending to cause cated in Fig. 9, counterbalanced by the thread engaging the projections 40. If the thread 5 should break, the finger 39 can fall I to the right and move the disk 33 to actuate the trip and enable the member 31 to be withdrawn and stop the knitting machine The same result will follow if the thread should get tangled and catch any where, so that the tension of the thread as it is drawn to the knitting needles will pull 7 the fork of the lever 12 away from the guard 9. In such a case the fork will act upon the arm 15 to rotate the shaft 16, swinging the hook 17 at the same time so that the thread drops off this hook. Hence, the finger 39 will be released as beforeto actuate the disk 33 and stop the machine. Therefore, in case any one of the threads 5 go- 'ing to the knitting machine by way of one of the arms 6 of our attachment should become broken or tangled or knotted, the machine will automatically stop until the defeet in the threadcan be attended'to.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 we show a modified form of arm indicated by the numeral 44. This arm is made by pressing or stamping,

whereas the arm 6 must be made by casting. The arm 44 has its inner end shaped to fit against the casing 2, just'below the flange 7; being both rounded to correspond with fillet between the lower face of this flange and the side of the casing; and made concave to fit the outside curvature of this casing. It is provided with a pair of projections 45 struck up to abut against the rim of the flange 7 and between these projections and the adjacent end of the arm is After i .of the guard 9.

a hole which is intended to register with a similar threaded hole in the flange 7 to receive the fastening screw which secures it to the casing. Adjacent the projections 45,

cent the outer end of this arm we mayprovide a couple of down-turned projections 46 and-47 in longitudinal'alinement with each other and struck out like the projections45. The projection" 46 will have a hole therein .and "serve as a bearing for the shaft 16 and the other'projection 47 willhave a hole to receive the pivot pin of the bellcrank lever 12.- At its, outer end, the arm 44 will be bent laterally in both directions,

that is downward and outward and then upward and inward, as shown in- Fig. 4; thereby providing a couple of portions 48 which may have threaded holes to secure to these portions 48 the ends of the arms 10 Adjacent the projection 47 there may be a projection 49 to act as a stop for the lever 12 when it is actuated this finger to fall over to the right as indiy the arm- 15 toward the g d also drill a couple of holes 50 in the arm 6 and in the arm 44 near the end which is fastened to the flange 7 to enable us to attach to the arm a frame made up of wire instead of a frame made out of a metal stamping, as above described. Such a frame will be affixed merely by forcing the ends in the holes 50 from below and when in position it would cooperate with the fingers 39 in the same way as the frame 41.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the disk 33] is made outof sheet metal and the shoulders 36 are in-cut edges presented to the arms 37 on spindles 38.

In Figs. 10 and 11 we show a lever 12 which is designed so that'it both engages the thread 5 and serves as a guide to enable 7 ed in the same position as the lever 12 above described; but in addition to the longer arm and the shorter arm to be engaged by the arm 15, it carries at the end of the longer arm a cross piece 51 terminating in a hook or projection 52. When this lever is mounted on the arm 6, the cross-piece 51 will be in about the same position as the guard 9; and the forward edge of the cross-piece 51 will be curved to about the same extent, and be of approximatelv the same length as the curved edge 14 of the guard 9. Consequently when one desires to make the thread 5 engage the lever he merely places it on the curved edge of the portion 51 and lets .it

slip down until it is stopped by the hook 52; this action being the same as when the thread is placed on the edge 14 of the guard 9 and slips down into engagement with the fork at the end of the above described lever 12. As shown in Fig. 11, the hook 52BX- tends in about the same direction. as the longer arm of the lever 12.

Having described our invention, what We believe to be new and, desire to secure and protect byLetters Patent of the United States is r 1. The combination of a casing for the stop-mechanism of a knitting machine, a plurality of arms mounted onrthe casing, a rock-shaft on each arm projecting to the inside of said casing, arms onthe rock-shafts inside the casing projecting alternately in opposite directions, and tension devicesfor said shafts to hold them yieldably in the required position, said devices comprising a set of springs for engaging the arms-0n the rock-shafts extending in one direction around the casing and a second set of springs for engaging the arms on the rock-shafts extending in the opposite direction around the casing.

2. A tension device for the stop-mechanism of a knitting machine having rockshafts to engage the thread-levers thereof, said device comprising a disk, and a plurality of arms mounted on the disk, said arms having eyelets at their outer ends and having their inner ends to be attached to springs connected to said shafts inserted in holes in the rim of the disk.

3. A tension device for the stop-mechanism of a knitting machine having rockshafts to engage the thread-levers thereof,

said device comprising a disk having a bearing projecting from one face, a second disk having a bearing projecting from one face,

said bearings abutting each other to keep'the disks spaced apart, and arms carried by each of said disks yieldably connected to said rock-shafts and projecting from the rims of same. i a

4:. A tension device for the stop-mechanism of a knitting machine having. rockshafts to engage the thread-levers thereof,

said device comprising a pair of spacedapart diskshaving abutting bearings, a pin pivotally secured to one disk and having a threaded opening, an adjusting screw engaging said opening, a 'p'ivotedpin having a threaded opening, secured to the other disk? the first disk having a slot through'which the second namedpin projects, and a second adjusting screw for engaging the pin .on'

the second disk, and located beside the first adjusting screw, said disks being yieldably connected with said rock-shafts.

5. The combination of a head for the stop Y knitting machine comprising a pair of arms,

one of said arms having a cross piece pro-- vided with a curved edge -to serve as a thread-guide and terminating in a hook, to hold the thread, and the other arm adapted to be engaged to hold the lever in operative position. j 1

In testimonywhereof, We have signed our names to this specification this 26th day of I June}, 1918. is

' WILBUR o. POTTER.

YEDW. H. STINES. 

